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Gifting a Car in Georgia: What It Really Costs

Georgia doesn't have a 'gift' category for vehicles the way some states do - there's no flat $10 or $15 gift tax to fall back on. What it has instead is the 0.5% immediate-family TAVT rate, which does the same job and then some: give a $25,000 car to your spouse, child, sibling, parent, grandparent, or grandchild and TAVT is $125 instead of $1,750. Add the $18 title fee and the whole transfer runs $143.

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Your numbers

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Official fees

Georgia gift a car fee chart

TAVT - immediate family transfer

0.5% of FMV

Title application fee

$18.00

TAVT - non-qualifying 'gift' (friends, cousins, in-laws)

7% of FMV

taxed like a standard sale

Form MV-16 (notarized affidavit)

Notary fee only

typically $5–$10 at a bank or shipping store

Figures verified July 2026 against official sources (listed below). Always confirm the final amount with your county tag office (Georgia Department of Revenue) - counties can add small local fees.

Official Georgia forms you'll need

  • MV-1Motor Vehicle Title/Tag Application

    Family gifts use Form MV-16 'Affidavit to Certify Immediate Family Relationship' (covers gifted, purchased, or inherited transfers between immediate family) to claim the reduced 0.5% TAVT rate on the MV-1 application.

Get the current version of each form from your county tag office (Georgia Department of Revenue) before you file - agencies revise forms, and offices reject outdated ones.

Step by step

How to gift a car in Georgia

  1. 1

    Confirm the relationship qualifies: spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, or grandchild.

  2. 2

    Giver signs the title over to the recipient at the county tag office or ahead of time if notarized.

  3. 3

    Both parties complete and notarize Form MV-16, Affidavit to Certify Immediate Family Relationship.

  4. 4

    File the title, Form MV-1, the MV-16, and proof of insurance at the county tag office within 30 days.

  5. 5

    Pay the 0.5% TAVT and $18 title fee together - the standard 30-day deadline and late penalties still apply.

Family TAVT
0.5%
Title fee
$18
Required form
MV-16 affidavit
Eligible
Spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild
Friends/cousins
Full 7% TAVT

Overview

The catch is that word 'immediate' - and the fact that the reduced rate only applies if the vehicle already carries a Georgia title on which TAVT was previously paid. Give the same car to a girlfriend, cousin, or best friend, and Georgia sees a standard transfer and taxes it at the full 7% of fair market value, exactly like any private sale - there's no 'it was free' discount outside the family circle. Both parties also need a notarized Form MV-16 on file to lock in the family rate.

Same state, other costs

More Georgia vehicle costs

Common questions

Georgia gift a car FAQ

Who counts as immediate family for Georgia's 0.5% TAVT rate?
Spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, and grandchild - the categories listed on Form MV-16. Aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws, and unmarried partners fall outside that list and get taxed at the standard 7% rate, same as a stranger.
Does the vehicle need to have been TAVT-titled already?
Yes. The 0.5% family rate only applies if the vehicle currently carries a Georgia title for which TAVT was previously paid. If it's still on the old annual ad valorem system, the recipient can either stay on that system or pay full TAVT - the 0.5% rate isn't available.
Can I 'sell' the car to a friend for $1 to avoid tax?
No - Georgia taxes fair market value regardless of what you write on the bill of sale. A $1 transfer to a non-family member is still assessed TAVT on the vehicle's real assessed value at 7%, exactly as if it sold for full price.
Is Form MV-16 mandatory even between a parent and child?
Yes. Without a notarized MV-16 on file, the tag office has no documented basis for the reduced rate and will assess the standard 7% TAVT even for a clear parent-to-child gift. Bring it completed to the tag office and both parties may sign in front of the clerk if a notary isn't available beforehand.
Do I owe federal gift tax on a car this valuable?
Georgia has no state gift tax beyond TAVT itself. A very high-value vehicle could theoretically brush against the IRS's annual federal gift-tax exclusion, but that's a federal filing question for the giver, not something the county tag office tracks.
Can I gift a car that still has a loan on it?
Not until the lien is released - the lender's name stays on the title until the loan is paid off. Once the lienholder releases it, the family transfer and 0.5% rate proceed normally.

Receipts

Official sources

Every number on this page comes from these documents - check them yourself.

Everywhere else

Gifting a Car: Taxes & Fees by state

Fees and rules are different in every state. Pick yours for exact numbers.

each state hand-verified against its DMV before it goes live

Disclaimer

DMVCosts provides fee estimates for general informational purposes only - it is not legal, tax, or financial advice, and no calculator can account for every county surcharge, exemption, or mid-year rate change. Figures are verified against official sources on the date shown, but fees change over time.

The final, binding amount is always the one quoted by your county tag office (Georgia Department of Revenue). Confirm with them before making payment decisions. To the fullest extent permitted by law, DMVCosts disclaims all liability for decisions made based on these estimates.